The European Parliament today voted to approve the setting up of a parliamentary inquiry committee to investigate the car pollution scandal (mandate below). The Greens/EFA group, which has been pushing for the creation of an inquiry committee since the Volkswagen scandal broke, welcomed the vote, with Greens/EFA vice-president and environment spokesperson Bas Eickhout stating:

"A clear majority of MEPs has today voted to approve the creation of a European Parliament inquiry into the car pollution scandal. Parliament has recognised its duty in providing a comprehensive EU-level response to dieselgate, which has shaken the credibility of the EU's role in regulating the car industry. With evidence that the European Commission is also implicated in the scandal, it was essential that the EP assume responsibility for investigating the revelations and the consequences to be drawn. This inquiry must focus on the roles played by the responsible national authorities and the European Commission in allowing this regulatory breakdown to occur. The European Commission has serious questions to answer over revelations that it failed to act on evidence it received that car manufacturers were using manipulation to avoid complying with EU car pollution rules. It must also explain why it sat on its hands in the face of evidence that many vehicles on the market exceeded EU pollution norms. "

See our press release from yesterday: http://www.greens-efa.eu/car-pollution-scandal-15019.html

The mandate of the committee can be found at: www.greens-efa.eu/fileadmin/dam/Documents/VW_inquiry_committee/Inquiry_committee_VW_mandate.pdf

The European Parliament will now vote to confirm the composition of the committee at its plenary session in January.